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Monthly Archives: September 2012

OK— this is not something for everyone, however, I like it so much that I wanted to share before the holidays. This is a nice hors d’oeuvres that’s healthy and tasty. The reason it’s not for everyone is because it consists of Brussel sprouts and olives. Those two are not on everyone’s favorite list. But, they happen to be within my best loved list. Hope you might see my point.

Ingredients:

1 large artichoke—Cook it your way or mine

As many Brussel Sprouts as you believe you may need

Olive Oil—3 Tblsp. for the roasting of perhaps one pound of Brussel Sprouts

Mix 3 Tblsp. olive oil with some S&P and a squirt of lemon juice in a bowl large enough to generously coat the sprouts.

Line a high sided baking pan with parchment paper and place the sprouts cut side down in the pan, as many near the outer edge as possible without crowding. Place in oven for 15 minutes. No need to turn them over. Test them for doneness and be aware that they will be very brown with some burnt edges after 12 minutes or so. Don’t worry about the burnt edges—that’s part of the roasting veggies scenario and actually adds extra to the flavor.

The Artichoke:

With the artichoke, I cut the individual leaf ends off so that the thorns are removed; cut both ends (the stem close to the choke and also the very top off about 1/2 inch) and wash. I then place the artichoke, bottom up, in a steamer placed in a tall pot or just in the pot itself, with water that goes about half way up the artichoke. In the water I add a dash of olive oil, a bay leaf, a garlic clove and a squirt of my favorite vinegar or lemon juice. You can also add fresh tarragon or thyme.

In CA I lived nearby where these edible thistles grew in beautiful fields. In fact I had several plants in my very own yard so I garnered very fresh chokes that barely needed to be cooked at all. However, here, transported, it usually takes a bit longer. I start watching the doneness at 20 minutes because overcooking an artichoke can create a mushy one and under cooking can create a very hard biting one. As well, I’ve found that the smell can tell you when they are done. Cover the pot when cooking and steam it at least 15 to 20 minutes if truly fresh. They are usually done when a leaf can be removed easily but make sure to taste. A well traveled choke can take as long as 45 minutes to cook, however, if longer than that you usually have procured a very old choke.

Frankly, I like to eat my artichoke plain without any butter, olive oil or mayonnaise. But if you so insist, a very simple combination of olive oil or melted butter with a dash of minced garlic, lemon juice and S&P will be perfect. One more combination that I make and everyone loves is half or more cup of mayonnaise with a dash of curry powder in it. Well, use your imagination. That’s what cooking and eating is all about, isn’t it?

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com Call Margot for personal cooking help @ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.

I love Kale and my bird, Bandit loves Kale. Hugo, my toy poodle, does not. Oh well, Hugo and I don’t always like the same foods. Funny though, I don’t remember seeing as much kale as that being displayed recently in our markets. Well, I’m glad it’s so readily available because there’s so much you can do with it and Bandit tells me that it’s extremely healthy for you. Thanks Bandit. Additionally, I’ll tell you that I like kale raw for a salad as well as cooked in various ways as in this recipe. Even if you don’t like Kale that much, I think that you’ll enjoy it this way. So, here goes and as usual: ENJOY and Bon Appétit!!!

Ingredients:

1 large baking potato, cut into eighths

1 clove garlic, lightly smashed

5 cups vegetable stock (but you can also use chicken or beef stock)

About 3 cups roughly chopped kale leaves (well rinsed and stripped from the stalks before chopping)

1 Tsp. FRESH marjoram (the fresh makes such a difference but dried will do and you can use oregano instead if you wish)

1 bay leaf

S&P to taste

Instructions:

Combine the potato, garlic and 2 C. of the stock in a medium saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook until the potato is soft, about 15 minutes; cool slightly.

While doing the above, cook the kale in the remaining stock (3 C) with the marjoram (oregano) and bay leaf until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

Now, I use a potato masher to mash the potato mixture before putting it a blender to puree it. Puree it. The mixture will be thick. Stir it into the simmering kale, season with S&P, and heat through.

Serve immediately

Additional versions:

Beat 2 eggs with 1/2 Cup of shredded Parmesan Cheese. Add this mixture at the last minute into your soup. There will be bits of egg and parmesan in it and it’ll be delicious. If you just do the eggs, that’s a bit Greek or Chinese. The Parmesan gives it an Italian twist.

For a Japanese version, add a bit of soy sauce, sesame oil and a dash of lime. You can even add a bit of green chili sauce.

You can also add some sliced chicken sausage in the soup to make it a bit of the Portuguese version.

See how versatile just a bit of potato and kale can be?

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com Call Margot for personal cooking help @ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.

Like this:

My mother used to make Chicken Marengo and we always both loved it. So, when I ran across this recipe, it gave me good memories of sharing this dish with my mother. This dish is of historical value: Napoleon and his traveling chef, Dunand, were the men who made this dish famous. After the battle at Marengo (Piedmont, Italy), Napoleon demanded from his chef a quick meal—imagine this after a treacherous journey over the Alps in mid-May. Cooking legend has it that even in these hinterlands, Napoleon’s forever challenged chef found a chicken, tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs, olive oil and crayfish. He cut the chicken up with his “saber” and made a dish very much like this recipe. Reportedly being thoroughly French, Dunand also added a dash of cognac from Napoleon’s flask. Napoleon liked the dish immensely and since he won the battle, considered Chicken Marengo lucky. So he asked for it often just as Dunand had originally made it. My recipe here doesn’t have crayfish or cognac in it, however, I think that it might taste very good with a similarity of both of those ingredients: shrimp and brandy maybe? Other variations could include white wine and black olives. Crusty bread served with it is delicious or rice will do. It’s also very good served with a lightly cubed peeled baked potato and thinly sliced onion that has been sauteed in a pan with some olive oil and sprinkled with some S&P, fresh thyme and paprika. And don’t forget a fragrant white wine to drink.

Ingredients:

2 ½ Tblsp. Olive oil or other good oil

8 chicken drumsticks

S&P

1 oz. bacon cut into small strips ( I freeze bacon to make sure I have a bit when I need it)

1 ½ Tblsp. flour

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced ( You can also use some minced garlic from the jar)

1 large tomato coarsely chopped (or you can use drained canned tomatoes amount to equal approximately 1 large tomato)

1 Tsp. tomato paste (from the tube or I freeze mine in 1 tsp. amts. and use that)

1/4 C. chicken or beef broth (I use chicken)

1 C. 2-percent milk (you can use whole milk or half and half diluted if you wish)

In an ovenproof skillet, heat 1 Tblsp. oil over medium high heat. Add chicken, season with S&P, and lightly brown on all sides—about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter.

Add bacon to the skillet and cook, stirring until the fat is rendered—about 2 minutes. If there is a lot of fat, drain most of it and add the remaining 1 ½ Tblsp. of oil to the skillet. Stir in the flour until smooth. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring until slightly softened—about 3 minutes.

Add the tomato and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until the tomato softens slightly-about 5 minutes. Add the milk and broth and bring to a boil, stirring until slightly thickened-about 3 minutes.

Return the chicken to the skillet and add the parsley sprigs.

Cover the chicken and braise in the oven for about 20 minutes—until the meat is cooked through.

Transfer chicken with tongs to a pretty platter and return the skillet to the stove top. Over moderate heat cook the gravy whisking constantly until smooth, about 2 minutes and add the chopped parsley to it.

Pour the sauce over the chicken legs and serve with crusty French bread.

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com Call Margot for personal cooking help @ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.

There are all kinds of greens to make into a salad, however, no matter what, I’ve found that if the dressing isn’t good, neither is the salad in spite of your preciously chosen greens. So here for your salad enjoyment is 5 dressings that are easy to make and I think are very delicious. Each makes about 1 cup’s worth. Better to put too little than too much on your salad and sometimes, I think its best just to serve the dressing(s) on the side and let your guest do the job. These dressings can store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. If they gel, I warm them up in their jar in a cup of hot water and then shake well.

When flavoring roasted vegetables (particularly after roasting) you want to avoid a heavy dose of liquids because they’ll soften any crisp edges that develop during roasting.

Roast in a very hot oven—Anywhere from 425 to 475 degrees is usually perfect. It really depends on your oven and your taste. I don’t mind veggies that are blackened somewhat; maybe for you that’s too much. So, I guess I’d try 450 degrees to start with.

Cut your vegetables in even-sized pieces so that they’ll roast evenly. Except for potatoes, you can cut up the veggies the morning of your planning to roast them.

To prevent sticking, line a heavy duty high edged pan with parchment paper.

Place your vegetables evenly over the whole pan—and in fact near the edges of the pan particularly if your pan is sparsely populated. Vegetables near the edges tend to brown better.

Fresh lemon juice—a couple of squirts (optional and depends on whether you’ll be using one of next

weeks yummy splashes recipes)

Directions:

Place rack in center of oven and heat to 425-475 degrees.

2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash, air dry and prepare vegetables according to the “quick guide introductory paragraph” at start of this column and the “vegetables to use” guide found below.

3. In a bowl toss your vegetables with the “master recipe” ingredients. Do not clean bowl because you’ll be using it again after the veggies are done.

Place your vegetables evenly spaced on your lined pan-lying–on the cut side if that’s applicable.

Roast according to individual vegetables mentioned below in “vegetables to use guide”. Watch carefully to see that your veggies don’t brown more than you wish them to—but remember, they shouldn’t be under roasted.

6. When the vegetables are done, return them to your original bowl and use the rest of the marinade left or if need be, add more olive oil if they seem a bit dry and season with more S&P and lemon juice if you deem necessary

( OR use another flavoring which will be mentioned in my subsequent column next week).

Broccoli Crowns-2-3 servings per lb. Trim, peel the stem; slice it into 1/4 inch thick disks. Split the florets through the stem so that each piece is 1-1/2 to 2 inches wide. Roast until the floret tops begin to brown, 8 – 10 minutes. Stir and continue to roast until tender—3 to 6 minutes

Butternut squash:4 serving per pound. Peel and cut into 3/4 to 1 inch pieces. Roast until browned on bottom-15 minutes. Flip and roast until tender-5 to 10 minutes

Mushrooms: (cremini or small white) 3-4 servings per lb. Brush clean and trim stems flush with cap. Roast stem side down until brown on bottom 20-25 minutes. Flip and roast until browned on top- 5 to 10 minutes more.

ZucchinisWash well, cut off ends. Cut lengthwise to create 4 halves and then crosswise in even 1/2 to 3/4 inch chunks. Roast open side down till brown, about 9 minutes. No need to flip.

Roasting a medley: If you insist, because they do cook at different rates, this will be more time consuming and intensive caretaking, so try to roast veggies that have approximately the same cooking times; or cook them all individually and then put them together.

Fresh lemon juice—a couple of squirts (optional and depends on whether you’ll be using one of next

weeks yummy splashes recipes)

The Six Splashes are:

1. Rosemary-Lemon Oil

Ingredients

Zest of 1 large lemon, removed in long strips with a veggie peeler

2 to 3 Tbs. olive oil or more as needed

1 Tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 Tsp. chopped fresh thyme.

Directions:

Combine in a small saucepan lemon zest and oil. Cook over medium-low until zest bubbles steadily for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, let cool about 3 minutes and stir in the herbs. Let sit for at least 20 minutes. Toss with the vegetables and S&P before roasting. With this splash you don’t need to use the master recipe. Discard lemon zest when veggies are put on baking sheet. If necessary, add additional oil after veggies have roasted.

Beat the eggs whites until stiff. Fold yolk mixture into the stiffened whites.

Pam spray your 8X8 oven proof dish and layer in the following way:

First layer half of your egg mixture

Place the peppers on top

Place the mixed cheese on top

Place the remainder of the egg mixture

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes

Remove from oven and check with knife or toothpick in the middle that the soufflé is done. Don’t let it get over done because then it’ll be dry. If you wish when it’s done, you can decorate the top with a combo of all or just one of the following: chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, sliced black olives; then let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve with warm buttered corn tortillas and relishes such as more chopped tomatoes, salsa, chipolata sauce, sour cream and avocados or guacamole.

Hint: To roast Poblanos or other peppers, place over an open flame or in a pan under the broiler until they are very brown, almost burnt. Place quickly in a sealed paper bag and let sit for about 20 minutes. That way the steam from the peppers will help remove the skin. Then, with gloved hands, peel the skin off and de-seed.

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com Call Margot for personal cooking help @ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.

Fresh Hagerman corn is still on my mind and I did note that on sale and for a good price in our markets was pork loin roast, so here you go:

Ingredients:

2 Tblsp. minced garlic (fresh is better)

2 Tblsp. minced fresh sage leaves (fresh is definitely better but you can use 2 tsp. dried sage if fresh is not within your realm)

1 onion sliced thin (optional)

S&P to taste

3-4 medium sized peeled baking potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes

1 or 2 ears of corn-kernels cut off from fresh husks or frozen kernels if necessary

2 Tblsp. plus some- olive oil

1 (3-4 pound) pork loin, bone in or 1 (2-3) boneless roast

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix the garlic, fresh sage, and S&P.

Place potatoes, (thinly sliced onion-optional), and corn in a Pam sprayed oven proof dish large enough to hold the pork as well. Toss the potato/corn mixture with 2 Tblsp. olive oil and about 1 tsp. of the garlic-sage mix.

Place the dish with the potato/corn mixture in the 425 degree oven while you prepare the pork.

With a thin-bladed knife make slits all over the pork and then, with YOUR FINGERS, insert most of the remaining garlic-sage mixture.

Take the hot dish with the potato/corn mixture out of the oven and nestle pork into the mixture. Pour a bit more of the olive oil over the roast and then spread the rest of the garlic-sage mixture over the roast.

Place roast nestled in the potato/corn mixture in the 425 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Turn oven down to 325 degrees and remove dish from the oven; gently with tongs remove the pork roast to a platter; stir the potato/ corn mixture in the dish because some of it may be sticking to the bottom; and replace roast nestled in the potato/corn mixture. You can pour a little more olive oil on top of roast if it looks a bit dry or if there are pan juices, baste the pork with them.

Replace roast dish in the 325 degree oven and continue to cook for about 3/4 hour more. Start checking the meat by sticking an instant-read thermometer. It should register 145 to 150 degree F when done. Don’t let the roast over cook. Pork tends to dry out rapidly.

When you think that the pork is just about done, take the roast out and place on a warm platter. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

In the meantime look at your potato/corn mixture and test to see if everything is done. I bet it will be. Add 2 or 3 tsp. of red wine vinegar and stir well. If the mixture needs to brown crisp a bit more, turn up the oven or even turn on the broiler and let brown/crisp then. Once again, watch carefully that it won’t crisp too much.

I serve my roast on a pretty platter surrounded by the potato mixture and edged with thinly sliced tomatoes and some parsley to add more color. Tomato goes with this very nicely.

A crisp white wine will go perfectly with this dish. Bon Appetit.

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com Call Margot for personal cooking help @ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.